Popular manufacturers
The most famous domestic manufacturer of titanium shovels is the Zubr company, which produces both bayonet models with a varnished wooden handle and compact folding products equipped with a telescopic handle.
The leader in the rating of bayonet models is the Zubr 4-39416 Expert Titan shovel. The tool has a handle made of high-grade wood and is designed for digging up land in plots and in vegetable gardens. The product is produced in the size of 22x30x144 cm, and its cost is 1 979 rubles.
No less popular is the folding tourist model "Bison 4-39477" measuring 14x18.5x71 cm. The shank and the working surface of the shovel are made of titanium, and it costs 4,579 rubles.
Another popular Russian manufacturer is the Tsentroinstrument company. Its bayonet model "Tsentroinstrument 1129-Ch" has an aluminum handle, a titanium bayonet and is produced in a weight of 432 g. The height of the working surface is 21 cm, the width is 16 cm, the length of the product is 116 cm. Such a shovel costs 2,251 rubles.
For an overview of the titanium shovel for the home, see the form below.
Is it possible to make a titanium shovel with your own hands or where to save money?
The alloy is quite rare, and also does not lend itself to welding with a conventional welding inverter, so the manufacture of the tool is somewhat complicated. It can be made only in the factory or with special melting equipment, where welding takes place at a temperature of +1200 degrees and in a gas atmosphere. That is why a titanium garden shovel costs a lot of money and remains inaccessible to folk craftsmen.
You can save only on self-assembly of finished elements. You can buy a separately cast bucket, prepare a larch or pine wood stalk (sandpaper), drill a hole for a control bolt with an electric drill, and this will save a lot of money. The cost of the resulting product will be 45-55% less than in a hardware store, since most of the money is taken only for the brand and for the completeness of the finished product. It is also worth considering additional functions: the ability to fold, an ergonomic handle, rubberized inserts on the handle. These are useful things, but you have to pay extra for them.
Peculiarities
The main distinguishing feature of titanium shovels is their high reliability and hardness. The tool is capable of working on problem soils and stony soils, where conventional steel shovels bend and quickly deteriorate. Titanium models are considered the lightest type of shovels and weigh 4 times less than steel ones. The edge of the working blade is sharpened and does not need sharpening throughout the entire period of operation. Titanium shovels make heavy manual work much easier, as they are equipped with a comfortable, curved handle.
This design contributes to an even distribution of the load, which significantly reduces its impact on the back. In addition, titanium is characterized by low adhesion, so that dirt and wet earth do not stick to the bayonet. This greatly simplifies the work, eliminating the need to constantly clean the work surface. Due to its high hardness, the titanium base is not subject to scratches and dents, which allows it to maintain its original appearance throughout its service life.
A brief description of all the advantages of the tool
Many builders and summer residents completely refuse to buy such a product as soon as they see its cost.Of course, it can greatly scare a person who is not hardened by the crisis, but do you really pay only for the name, and there are no more advantages? In fact, there are many advantages and they more than compensate for the exorbitant cost. Let's consider them in more detail.
Light weight. You no longer have to carry around massive, heavy metal shovels. 4 times lighter than ordinary steel - just for this you can already buy a tool. You can take it with you on a hike, to a dacha, fishing and other long walks, where you have to carry heavy luggage on your two. Many tourists use titanium "sappers" or simply take a folding summer cottage inventory, as it is much more convenient. Straining your back is no longer in vogue and it is better to overpay 1 time than to suffer for years.
Low metal adhesion
This, seemingly insignificant, advantage is very important for those who often carry out digging work. The tool is especially useful when digging up wet soil, when it sticks to the bucket of an iron shovel and it is simply impossible to continue working further
Now the ground will slide off much easier even if you are digging a wet rice field! An irreplaceable thing when performing construction work, resting in the country and when performing other operations.
Increased strength. The density of the alloy is 4-5 times higher than that of ordinary steel, so the force can be exerted on the holder solid. Especially useful when working on hard soils, where a normal bucket bends in 3 deaths. With a seat diameter of 4-5 cm, a solid holder can be installed, which is suitable for heavy work on stony soils.
Sharpening durability. Are you already dreaming about trimming the hem in a nightmare after a long day at work? Now you don't have to carry a snare or any other device with which you tried to make something normal out of a blunt tool in your pocket. On average, one edge treatment can be enough for a period from 2-3 weeks to a year, depending on the intensity of use.
Absolute resistance to aggressive environments. There is no need to worry about "garage" storage - it can be thrown in the rain and nothing bad will happen to the metal. Water, acids, alkalis, oils have no effect.
Neat appearance. The titanium bayonet shovel looks very stylish, modern, thanks to its matte finish, the absence of scratches on the surface.
These advantages are more than enough to spend a little more money and buy a titanium product. In addition, it will be a good decoration for your room for storing garden tools in the country or at home.
A small fly in the ointment in a large barrel of honey
A titanium shovel has several disadvantages that scare summer residents away from it. There are not many of them, but, nevertheless, they exist. Let's consider them in more detail.
- Price. This is perhaps the biggest drawback. Few people decide to buy a shovel for 1000-2000 rubles for home purposes. It is bought to solve a specific task that an ordinary garden tool cannot cope with.
- The weight. In some cases, its light weight can become a disadvantage, for example, when it is necessary to make impact movements. For example, when uprooting stumps or digging trenches in areas where large weeds are growing. Sharpening is necessary to compensate for the light weight, and this increases the risk of chipping and breaking off parts of the bucket.
- Brittleness. The metal is strong but brittle. If you make a good purchase of a steel shovel, it will simply bend. The problem is solved by the method of "knocking out a wedge with a wedge" - you need to hit the bucket with a hammer from the other side. A titanium part, unlike a steel part, is not restored, if it breaks, then you have to throw out the bucket completely, or even the entire shovel (if it is a folding sapper).